Elastic-fluid turbine.



F. SAMUELSON.

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED APRJ, 1911 1,013,317 Patented Jan. 2. 1912 Witnesses: 9 Invent-JOE Frederic Samuelson,

W 5 ,a m bb n f ran srntrns rn rnn'r oniuon FREDERICK SAMUELSON, F RUGBY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 1, 1911. Serial No. 618,262.

To all whom, it may concern.

Be it known that I, FREDERICK SAMUnL- soN, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Rugby, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elastic-fluid turbines generally and more particularly to 1 mixed-pressur turbines which are adapted to be operated' with high or low pressure fluid or both. In such turbines it is customary to provide a few nozzles in the first stage which are supplied with high pressure 5 fluid, the remainder being supplied with low pressure fluid. Fluid is admitted to the high pressure nozzles through passages which prevent the high pressure fluid from mixing 7 v with the low pressure fluid until after it has passed through the first stage nozzles of the turbine. The low pressure fluid, of which thereas usually a large volume as compared Wit-h the volume of high pressure fluid, is generally admitted to a space situated between the end of the turbine casing and a diaphragm in front of the first stage wheeL' As the turbine shaft/usually passes through this space it has been found diificultto satisfactorily prevent the fluid from leaking through the glands surrounding the shaft into the first stage without employing expensive and complicated packing devices, and the object of the present invention is to overcome this difliculty by so constructing and arranging the parts that one gla'hd is omitted and the other is not subjected to the pressure of the fluid in the low pressure steam chest of the 't rbine.

. The accompanying drawing, which is a bine of the Curtis type, illustrates one form of my invention.

f- In carrying my invention into eflect as illustrated, I provide the first diaphragm 1 with, 25 a hub-like member or part 2 surrounding the shaft 3. This hub is cylindrical and projects into or through an aperture formed in the end ofthe turbine-casing i, the latter be.- ing divided in an axial plane as indicated in dotted lines, 'Asboth casing and diaphragm are stationary there is no difiiculty in con structip'gla fluid tight joint between them. The interior,..of the hub may be bored to fit the shaft cldselyor may be chamb'ered as shown at15 and in addition 'may be proi0 sectional elevation of a Inixed-pressure turetavided with projecting rings bored to allow the shaftto pass through so 'as to form a labyrinth packing. WVith this construction it will be seen that there is no possibility of'fluid leaking from the'low pressure steam chest 6 to the shaft aperture until after it has passed through the first stage nozzles 7 The low pressure fluid is admitted to the steam chest from-which it has access to the majority of the first stage nozzlesS through the conduit 9. The high pressure steam which only has access to a few nozzles 7 is admitted through the conduitlO. In mixedpressure turbines the pressure of the fluid after passing through the first stage is seldom above atmospheric pressure; hence there is practically no tendency for it to leak more projections 14 that serve to hold the same against akial movement.

15 indicates radial holes connecting with .an annular chamber 16. Steam may be ad mitted to this chamber, when the internal ressure is such as to re uire it thereb forming a steam seal. The casing 4 is split axially to permit the mounting or removal of the parts of the turbine.

The periphery of the diaphragmis rabbeted to the casing in such manner as to n rake a fluid tight jointa- Thediaphragm niav be .made in one or two pieces as desired, bly the former to obviate. joints. By utilizing a diaphragm to form a part of the steam chest, I ain able to greatlysimpli'fy the construction of the casing, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture, and decreasing the losses due to poor castings I may also use, different metals for the casing and diaphragm which in some cases is ad vantageous. I .can also change the size of the steam chest at less cost than if the ,diaphragm were 'cast as an integral part of the. casing. Tostate the matter broadly,

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

the arrangement of parts is advantageous 'have specifically mentioned mixed-pressure turbines I do not desire to limit myself to this type as it is equally applicable to other types of turbines. Also it will be obvious that other methods of carryingmy invention into effect may be devised which come Within the scope. of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s,--

1. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a casing, a rotor, and a diaphragm located between a wall of the easing and the rotor, said diaphragm making a fluid tight joint with the casing and cooperating therewith to form a steam chest.

2. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a divided casing, a rotor, a diaphragm located between a wall of the easing and the rotor, ahub-like member carried by the diaphragm that is seated fluid tight between the parts of the casing, the wall .ofthe casing and the diaphragm forming a steam chest.

3. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a divided casing, a rotor, a diaphragm located between a wall of the casing and therotor, a hub-like member carried by the diaphragm that is seated fluid tight-between the parts of the casing, the wall of the-casing and the diaphragm forming a steam chest, and a packing carried by the casing for preventing the admission of 4 air to the chamber in the-casing containing the r.otor or the escape of steam.

4'. In a mixed-pressure turbine, the combination of a casing, one or more high pressure fluid dischargin devices, one or more low pressure fluid ischarging devices, a

rotor arranged to receive fluid from both sources, and a partition located between a extends with small clearance,

wall of the leasing and the rotor, said partition and wall cooperating toform a low pressure steam chest with the central portion of the partition being connected fluid tight with the casing.

5. In a mixed-pressure turbine, the corn-- bination of a casing, one or more high pres sure fluid discharging devices, one or more low pressure fluid discharging devices, a rotor arranged to receive fluid from both sources, a partition located between a wall of the casing and the rotor, said partition and wall cooperating to form a low pressure steam chest with the central portion of the partition being connected fluid tight with the casing, and an external packing carried by the casing which prevents the entrance of air to or the escape of steam from the rotor chamber.

6. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the-combination of a casing, a rotor, a shaft therefor, a diaphragm through which the shaft a hub on said diaphragm that is seated fluid tight in the casing, the casing and diaphragm forming a steam chest, a housing carried by the outside of the casing, and a shaft packing lo cated' in the housing.

7 In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a casing, a rotor, a shaft there for, a removable diaphragm that is rabbeted to the casing and through which the shaft extends, a hub on the diaphragm that is clamped between the parts of the casing, the diaphragm and easing forming a low pressure steam chest, and nozzles for admitting steam to the rotor.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of March,

Witnesses: CHARLns H. FULLER,

J A. FOSTER. 

